The fellow who had hurled insults at me naturally found himself alienated, and before anyone realized it, he had vanished from the venue altogether.
All the while, Reidouk continued introducing one guest after another.
Most of them were insignificant, ordinary members of high society, but one particular pair caught my eye.
The man was in his forties, dressed in typical merchant attire. In a setting like this, it was vital for one's station and trade to be recognizable at a single glance.
The girl was around ten years old. She wore a neat, modest dress that gave the impression of someone trying a little too hard to seem grown-up.
Those two made up the pair.
"It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness. My name is Byron Alan. This is my daughter, Cindy. Please, make her acquaintance."
"Yeah. Is she your adopted daughter or something?"
When I pointed this out, the merchant who introduced himself as Byron stiffened for a moment.
"Y-You knew?"
"No."
It was simply that, from the experience of my past life, I could just "tell."
A man in his forties and a girl around ten. The two looked nothing like a biological parent and child.
"I can tell just by looking."
"Oho, as expected of Your Highness. For my own future reference, would you mind enlightening us as to how you knew?"
While Byron was bewildered, Reidouk remained completely composed.
He stepped in skillfully and kept the conversation moving.
"Alan, are you a second or third-generation merchant?"
"Y-Yes. It is just as you say."
"Thought so. Your demeanor carries the natural air of someone born into high society. But this girl doesn't have that."
Having reincarnated as the Thirteenth Imperial Prince—the pinnacle of nobility—I retained the memories of my previous life.
I could readily distinguish between the mannerisms of those born into the upper class and those who were not.
Sensing that difference, I had called it out.
At that, Third Prime Minister Reidouk gave an amused smile.
"I see! Truly remarkable, Your Highness. I am thoroughly impressed by your keen insight."
"And while we're on the subject," I added.
"There is more?"
"She's a slave, isn't she?"
"Y-Yes."
"Good heavens! You can even discern that much?"
"Yeah."
It was in the eyes.
People who have fallen into slavery even once have a distinct, cautious way of looking at others.
With the truth about his daughter laid bare, Byron seemed to cast off his hesitation, speaking with far more composure than before.
"I purchased this girl from a slave trader, but unlike the other children, she was exceptionally bright. So, I adopted her as my daughter and have been educating her in various matters."
"I see. That's good. I like that sort of thing."
The moment I said that, murmurs rippled through the surrounding crowd.
Paying them no mind, I continued.
"I'll invite you to my mansion sometime. Tell me more about her then."
"—! H-Haha, with pleasure!"
Byron bowed his head in sheer delight, drawing the envious gazes of everyone around him.
Having caught the eye of the Thirteenth Imperial Prince—namely, me—he had become the biggest Cinderella boy at this party.
And Byron was smart.
Lingering any longer would invite too much jealousy, and if handled poorly, it might incur my displeasure as well.
Taking his daughter in tow, he swiftly withdrew from the center of the crowd.
"Prime Minister Reidouk. There was another reason I knew she wasn't his biological daughter."
"Oho, and what might that be?"
"Look."
When I gestured with my chin, Cindy glanced back over her shoulder at that exact moment.
"She turned this way, didn't she?"
"I directed my intimidation solely at that spot, and she reacted to it. Ever since my first wave of intimidation, she has been putting her own body on the line to shield Byron."
"Ho-hoh."
"A girl of that age—"
"Indeed, quite right. A girl of that age does not normally risk life and limb to protect a parent. She would typically be the one protected."
"Exactly."
"And you have been observing that ever since the beginning, I see. Your Highness's sharp eye never ceases to amaze me."
Offering a faint smile at Reidouk as he showered me with praise, I resumed greeting the rest of the guests.
☆
The next day, at the Thirteenth Imperial Prince Mansion.
After breakfast, while I was stretching out in the courtyard, one of the maids approached.
It was a familiar face—a maid named Zoe.
"Master."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"A token of gratitude has arrived from the Third Prime Minister. How would you like to handle it?"
Saying so, Zoe presented a sealed letter.
It was nothing complicated—simply stating that the party had been a success thanks to my attendance yesterday, accompanied by an offer to present ten thousand Rien as a token of thanks.
This was basic etiquette in noble socialization.
Unless you were openly hostile toward the sender, you would routinely accept it.
Incidentally, not just anyone could send a gift like this.
Presenting a gift to me, an imperial prince, required both the appropriate social standing and a justifiable pretext.
Among the people I met yesterday, only Reidouk and Byron fit the bill.
Well, Byron didn't strike me as the type to get ahead of himself.
He probably wouldn't send anything so soon.
I slipped the letter back into its envelope and handed it to Zoe.
"Accept it as usual."
"Understood!"
Zoe turned and nodded.
Another servant stood in her line of sight, springing into motion the moment Zoe gave the signal.
They had likely gone to process the monetary gift.
Now, there was something I needed to consider.
The magic sword.
Yesterday, I subdued Leviathan and brought it under my control.
I had even used it twice to intimidate others in practical situations.
That was all well and good, but I couldn't rely solely on that forever.
Since I possessed a magic sword, it wouldn't do if I couldn't swing the blade itself with proper form.
Just as I was wondering how to address the issue, an emotion flowed into me from Leviathan, as though it were trying to convey something.
Not words, but a simple, raw emotion.
It felt like the excitement of an eager child.
"...Heh."
"What is it, Master?" Zoe asked from my side.
I swallowed the urge to ask Are you still here?
"I just thought of something interesting."
"Something interesting?"
"Watch."
I set off at a brisk pace, and Zoe trailed behind.
After walking for a bit through the garden tended daily by the groundskeeper, I came to a halt before a massive tree.
It had a remarkably thick trunk; at the very least, my current six-year-old self couldn't wrap both arms around it even if I tried.
Standing before the great tree, I drew Leviathan.
Raising it in a high stance—I swung downward.
"Whoa!"
A cheer escaped her lips.
There was neither great power nor speed behind the blow. Those physical stats of mine were still sitting at E or F rank.
Yet with just that much force, I sliced the giant tree cleanly in two at an angle.
"Amazing! Master, how did you do that just now? It looked so effortless!"
"Actually, swing it normally and it wouldn't cut at all."
With that, I demonstrated on the remaining stump.
This time, I visibly put muscle into the swing, leaning my entire body weight into the slash.
The blade bit in and jammed halfway through the trunk.
"Huh?"
"Even though it looked like you put so much more power into that one, why did it stop?"
"Because that's an amateur's way of cutting. This, however, is a master's—"
The movements of a previous wielder, preserved within Leviathan's memories.
Tracing that exact form, I swung downward once more. It was another strike devoid of sheer strength or speed, yet it sliced through the wood effortlessly, cleaving it into neat rounds.
"Waaaah! Incredible! Just like a master swordsman!"
Well, because they were a master's movements.
Indeed, when I wished to wield it properly, Leviathan shared the muscle memory of its former owners with me.
Perhaps because it was a magic sword that chose its own master, nearly all of its past wielders were remarkably skilled individuals.
Leviathan retained their forms and techniques, allowing me to reproduce them straight from its memory.
Even with E- or F-rank strength and speed, I was now capable of unleashing master-tier slashes.
This should keep up appearances for the time being.
And what was more...
"Heh."
"What is it this time?"
"You recognize this, right?"
Saying so, I drew the magic tool Splash and held it out for Zoe to see.
"Yes! It's your trump card, Master, isn't it?"
"Yeah. Turns out Leviathan can do the exact same thing. It doesn't consume my mana, nor does it drain the sword itself. In exchange, though, it can only be used once an hour."
"I see."
"Let's give it a test fire."
Carried along by Leviathan's playful, mischievous excitement, I decided to try it out.
Leveling Leviathan's blade, I aimed at what was left of the tree.
Right before unleashing it, my intuition flared.
I hurriedly angled the blade toward the ground.
A deafening roar erupted, and the earth shook violently enough to knock Zoe flat on her rear.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch... Whaaat?!"
Tumbling onto her backside, Zoe looked at the aftermath and shrieked in utter disbelief.
Even I was caught off guard.
What had erupted from the hastily redirected Leviathan was a torrent of water over five meters across.
Blasted straight into the earth, it had gouged out a massive, bottomless crater five meters wide.
"I-Incredible..."
Unlike her previous excited praises, Zoe could only mutter in half-speechless awe.